Pete Wedderburn

Pete Wedderburn qualified as a vet twenty-five years ago, and now spends half his working life writing newspaper columns. He lives in Ireland with his wife, two daughters and a menagerie of dogs, cats, poultry and other furry and feathered companions. Pete answers readers' queries about their pets' health in his video Q&A – he is also on Twitter as @petethevet and has a Facebook Fan Page.

Why are vets more likely to commit suicide?

Thirteen suicides every year may not sound like a high number on a national scale, but when they happen in a small group like the veterinary profession, it’s very significant. Statistically, it’s twice the suicide rate of doctors and dentists, and four times the rate amongst the general population. At a personal level, it means that almost every vet knows a close colleague who has chosen to end his or her own life.

The high rate of suicide has been recognised for over a decade, but until now there’s only been speculation about possible causes. Is it because we have access to drugs that can be used for self-euthanasia? Do we become comfortably familiar with the idea of killing our patients to prevent suffering, so that on one stressed-up day, when we look in the mirror, suicide doesn’t seem so strange?

The first of two detailed research papers on veterinary suicide was published at the weekend. It’s obviously a difficult area to investigate (you can’t interview the victims), but this paper has done the best job possible in the circumstances. It’s a comprehensive, structured review of over a hundred research articles relating to the mental health of vets, drawing together and analysing the widest possible body of knowledge of the subject.

The details are unlikely to be of interest to those outside the veterinary profession, other than to highlight the fact that vets may be more sensitive than many people realize. The three main reported contributors to vet stress were the number of hours worked, making professional mistakes and the possibility of client complaints or litigation.

One client has already contacted me after reading the newspaper reports. What was his take home message from the research? “I’ll have to be kinder to you guys and all your colleagues in the profession from now on. Hey, kinder I said, not more generous!”